WENDAKE, QC, July 13, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - In just a few days, nearly 300 Aboriginal athletes in Quebec will travel to Toronto to represent team Eastern Door and the North (EDN) at the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG), which is the equivalent of the Pan American Games for First Nations, Métis and Inuit in North America.
Several competitions of the NAIG, the largest continental sports and cultural gathering of Indigenous peoples, will be held in Toronto from July 16 to the 22 in the same facilities as the 2015 edition of the Pan American Games. More than 5,000 Indigenous athletes from Canada and the United States ages 12 to 19 years will be participating and competing in one of 14 sport disciplines: 3D archery, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, canoe / kayak, golf, indoor lacrosse, rifle shooting, soccer, softball, swimming, volleyball and wrestling.
Team EDN is made up of nearly 300 athletes representing 28 First Nations communities. More than 80 adults are also part of the delegation, including coaches, chaperones and the mission team, featuring people with diverse expertise who will be playing specific roles related to logistics, athlete coaching and team EDN management before, during and after the NAIG. Furthermore, two artists, Elijah Picard-Hervieux and Christopher Basile-Andrew, complete team EDN's delegation. The NAIG allows all participating Indigenous athletes to share and discuss their respective cultures, thus promoting exchanges and fulfilment.
The Chef de Mission for team EDN's delegation for the NAIG, Sophie Picard of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission, is very pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the coordination of the preparations: "This is a major sporting event and it will be a wonderful experience for our young people. I look forward to seeing them flourish and excel while proudly representing team EDN."
Photos and results of the competitions will be published on a daily basis on the various social media accounts of team EDN. To follow and encourage team EDN:
Website: www.pen-edn.com
Facebook: Équipe PEN - Team EDN
Twitter: @PEN_EDN
Instagram: @EquipePEN_TeamEDN
"Team EDN's athletes have been training for months or even years to participate in this competition. Their place on the team is the result of their hard work, dedication and determination. We have every reason to be proud of them," said Ms. Picard.
About the NAIG
The NAIG is a major sporting and cultural event that welcomes more than 5,000 Indigenous youth ages 12 to 19 years from across Canada and the United States for 14 traditional and modern sport disciplines. http://www.naigcouncil.com/
About team EDN
Team EDN is comprised of nearly 300 athletes representing 28 First Nations communities. As Quebec's official representative for the NAIG, it cultivates a spirit of friendly competition and athletic excellence while honouring the various Aboriginal cultures it includes.
SOURCE Team EDN
SOURCE: Nadine Gros-Louis, Communications Director, 418-564-4555 (mobile phone), [email protected]; FOR PICTURES AND INTERVIEWS WITH THE ATHLETES: Saturday, July 15, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. in Kahnawake, (Knights of Colombus), Éric Cardinal, 514-922-9246 (mobile phone), [email protected]
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